The present invention relates to a sawhorse for supporting planks and the like, in general, and, more particularly, to a folding sawhorse which is collapsible for storage and transportation.
Foldable sawhorses for supporting planks and the like have long been known in the art. These generally include two leg-defining bases pivotably coupled by hinges at the top such that the bases can be spread apart in an operative orientation so as to stand on the ground, and can be pivoted towards one another in a folded orientation for transportation and storage.
Such sawhorses are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,312,956 (to Campbell) which shows a collapsible horse including an upper horizontal rail into which the upper ends of the pairs of legs are adapted to extend. Another such sawhorse is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,746 (to Juculano) which includes four tubular legs affixed to cylindrical sleeve elements through which runs a transverse member.
Many of these sawhorses include a shelf extending between the leg sections. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,056 (to DeLorenzo) shows complementary leg-defining stampings hingedly secured together at the tops thereof and a pair of longitudinally extending shelf sections hingedly connected and projecting inwardly from the lower struts and hingedly fastened together at their inner meeting edges. The edges of the shelf sections include spaced apart bendable sections which are rolled to form hinges, and spaced apart short segments having straight edges abutting one another in the open orientation. Another such sawhorse is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,785 (to DuRapau) which includes two trestle like frames that are hingedly connected at their tops and a pivoting shelf member which is hingedly attached to a lower strut of one frame and slideably mounted in tracks on the legs of the opposite frame.
Many of these sawhorses suffer from a lack of stability in the legs or the shelf connecting the legs. In addition, they all include at least some metal parts, which can be problematic when the sawhorse is used or stored outdoors.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a simple, reliable folding sawhorse which is stable and has a strong tray member when in the operative orientation and which collapses easily to a light-weight compact structure for transportation and storage.